Search from our page    Eesti keeles	Treaty of Tartu - 90 Tartu Peace Treaty (Estonian: Tartu rahu, literally "Tartu peace") or Treaty of Tartu was a peace treaty between Estonia and Russian SFSR signed in 2 February 1920, ending the Estonian War of Independence. The terms of the treaty stated that "Russia unreservedly recognizes" the independence of Republic of Estonia de jure and renounced in perpetuity all rights to the territory of Estonia. The treaty established the border between Estonia and Russia, affirmed the right of Estonian people to return to Estonia and Russian people to return to Russia and required that Estonian movable property evacuated to Russia in the World War I be returned to Estonia. Russia also agreed to absolve all debt from Tsarist times and to pay Estonia 15 million gold rubles, a proportional share from gold reserves of former Russian Empire. Additionally Russia agreed to grant concessions to exploit one million hectares of Russian forest land and to build a railway line from the Estonian border to Moscow. In return, Estonia undertook to allow the RSFSR to build a free port at Tallinn or some other harbour and to erect a power station on the Narva River. The treaty was signed by Jaan Poska on Estonian side and Adolf Joffe for the Soviet Russia as well as by other representatives of both parties. The Tartu Peace Treaty has been regarded as the birth certificate of the Republic of Estonia because it was the very first de jure recognition of the state. The treaty was also of utmost importance to the diplomatically isolated Soviet Russia, with Lenin expressing satisfaction with the treaty as "an incomparable victory over Western imperialism". Some members of the Entente opposed the treaty with the intention to keep Soviet Russia in international isolation. After signing, Soviet Russia failed to fulfill several points of the treaty, e.g. the museological collections of the University of Tartu have not been returned to this day from Voronezh and the migration of Estonians was obstructed. The treaty was the first international treaty to be signed for The Republic of Estonia and for The Russian SFSR. Russian SFSR became the first state to acknowledge the independece of The Republic of Estonia and Estonia became the first to acknowledge the Russian SFSR. The Tartu Peace Treaty made way for both states into the international politics and thus became an international event. The Tartu Peace Treaty is the biggest achievent for the beginning of Estonian diplomacy and one of the bases of the Republic of Estonia. (From Wikipedia) EFA 3-3698 Signatures and seals of the peace treaty. 02.02.1920. EFA 0-52369p Leather-bound peace treaty with the initials E V (Eesti Vabariik- Estonian Republic) sent to the Russian SFSR. EFA 3-3216 The first page of the peace treaty with signatures. EFA A-288-413 August Rei- Chairman of the Constituent Assembly of the Republic of Estonia- signing the act of ratifying the Tartu Treaty in Tallinn 13.03. 1920. Photo: Parikas EFA 6-15 Estonian delegation at the end of the peace conference (left): members of the Constituent Assembly A. Oinas, dr. Püümann, Minister of Foreign Affairs A. Birk, member of the Constituent Assembly J. Seljamaa, Chairman of the Estonian delegation J. Poska, General J. Soots, Colonel V. Mutt, member of the Constiuent Assembly A. Piip, expert R. Paabo. EFA 4-486 Diplomatic agent of the Russian SFSR Adolf Joffe signing the peace treaty. EFA 4-1158 Chairman of the Estonian delegation Jaan Poska signing the peace treaty. EFA A-288-414 The Prime Minister of Estonia Jaan Tõnisson signing the act of ratifying the Tartu Treaty. Photo: Parikas EFA 0-52364p The Minister of Foreign Affairs Ado Birk signing the act of ratifying the Tartu Treaty. Photo: Parikas EFA A-288-410 Russian delegation at the treaty signing (from left): 1. Šemjakin, 3. Benkendorf, 4. F. Kostjajev, 5. A. Joffe, 6. I. Gukovski, 7. Solts. Photo: Parikas EFA A-288-417 Journalists at the treaty signing in Tartu. Photo: Parikas EFA 0-30452p Estonian delegation (05.12. 1919- 14.02. 1920) at the Estonian-Soviet peace negotiations (from left): Minister of War Ants Piip, General Jaan Soots, Chairman Jaan Poska, Julius Seljamaa, Mait Püümann. EFA 3-4207 Soviet delegation members at the treaty signing- A. Joffe, Kukovski ja Kostjajev in Tartu 01.02. 1920. EFA 3-4206 Soviet delegation members in Tartu. EFA A-288-419 Aia Street 39 in Tartu where the treaty was signed 02.02. 1920. Photo: Parikas EFA 3-4205 Estonian delegation member Minister of War A. Piip and officer-expert Viktor Mutt (left) in Tartu 01.02. 1920. [Back]
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